Narragansett or Bourbon Reds ?

[Jake Levi]

These are two varieties I have always like, the Narragansett and the Boubon Red, which makes the better small farm bird for free ranging in the day and penning up at night, free breeding and raising their poults? I had a few of the Wishart strain of heritage bronze and am kind of tempted to have them again, basically their behavior etc is what I would like to find in one of these varieties.

 

[turkaholic]

I don't think you'll go wrong with either, but my Narr's have always been good at brooding and taking care of their poults. They are calm and friendly too. Narragansetts have always been one of my favorites.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I like Bourbon Reds.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Pick which one you think looks the best. They are both good breeds and good mothers and eat(taste) good. They say the BR's have the best flavor of all but MHO is that the Nara's are better looking.

 

[Jake Levi]

Thanks, I think for this year the Narragansetts win out, I have had them, along with the Wishard Strain which I can find anymore,

have been tempted to try to recreate it crossing wild strain with free ranging bronzes. For this year it will be the Narragansetts.

 

[Martin Grove Farm]

I have had both and much prefer the bourbon reds. This is my opinion only. I feel they are more calm and taste "oh so good"

 

[nivtup]

I vote for the reds.

We have had both, both are good for breeding and mothering. Gotta watch the poults, we pulled most of ours away from the hens after hatching. Lost a few to the Toms stomping on them.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Quote:
My Narr's love to be hand fed and petted, how can you get more calm than that?

 

[Martin Grove Farm]

Quote:
My Narr's love to be hand fed and petted, how can you get more calm than that?

As I said, this is my opinion only. I bought both the Narr and Reds as poults. Raised them both the same but the Narrs were a little more flighty than the Reds. My Reds would follow me around and I could feed them from my hand too. The Narrs would eat from my hand but with much coaxing on my end. When it came time to pack them up to take them to the processor, the Reds would let us walk right over the them and let us pick them up, the Narrs would flap and run and we had to give a short chase. Perhaps this is why the Reds tasted better, less stress. This is MY experience with them. Your experience is unique to you. The author was just asking opinions and I gave mine. I DO Not say that this is the rule, just my experience. I did not mean to offend any Narr owners.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Not offended at all. I have never raised BR's but my Narrs are as sweet as can be and love attention. Now for me, my Sweetgrass are super flighty for some reason. I hatched all of them and raised them the same as the others but they are super flighty for me. I don't know why but i'm sure there are people with Sweetgrass that are very calm.